About Us

Tyson Dixon serves as Chairman of the Board of Operation Forgotten Heroes and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Ranch. Drawing on his own experience in recovery — having completed the Renaissance Ranch program in 2008 — Tyson brings firsthand knowledge of what lasting change requires. He holds a Licensed Substance Abuse Counseling certificate from Utah Valley University and has years of service involvement with local recovery programs. At Renaissance Ranch, he oversees operations at both the client and organizational level, and his commitment to recovery sets the tone for the entire organization. As Chairman of Operation Forgotten Heroes, Tyson helps guide the mission of delivering peer-driven, non-clinical recovery support to veterans, justice-involved individuals, and others working to overcome substance use disorder.

George Hunter serves as Executive Director of Operation Forgotten Heroes and is a combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, having served with the 82nd Airborne Division. After overcoming his own struggles with trauma and addiction, George found recovery and a renewed sense of purpose in helping fellow veterans navigate the same challenges he once faced. He holds a SUDCi credential and has completed All Rise national treatment court training, positioning OFH as a credentialed partner for Idaho Veterans Treatment Courts. Through lived experience and deep commitment to the veteran community, George works daily to ensure no veteran feels forgotten or alone in their fight for recovery and healing.

Summer Hirschfield brings 20 years of experience managing federal, state, and local grants, dedicating her career to helping organizations maximize the impact of their funding. She has led initiatives ranging from large-scale federal programs to community-based projects, with a consistent focus on compliance, accountability, and measurable results. Outside her professional work, Summer is deeply committed to the recovery community, guided by the belief that strong, supportive networks form the cornerstone of lasting recovery. She serves on the OFH Board in an unpaid capacity, providing grant compliance expertise and strategic oversight that directly strengthens the organization's ability to steward federal funds responsibly.

Dr. Hans Watson spent the last several years as the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director at residential treatment facilities that specialize in substance abuse, mental health, and dual-diagnosis care. He has also maintained a robust private psychotherapy practice.

Prior to retiring from the military, he served as the lone psychiatrist and a psychotherapist for an Air Force base, while concurrently serving as medical director for its Alcohol and Drug Prevention & Treatment program and its Family Advocacy Program (the military's version of Child & Protective Services). He is trained in general psychiatry from Wright State University and is a nationally recognized expert in many forms of psychotherapy — including Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Cognitive Processing, Prolonged Exposure, Dialectical Behavioral, Couples, Marriage & Family, and pediatric therapy.

His personal interests include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, neurobiology, Traumatic Brain Injury, neural functioning, and psychoanalysis. He attended the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Utah.

Dr. Watson is a retired member of the armed forces. Before medical school, he enlisted in the Army as an artillery fire direction control specialist. He attended ROTC at the University of Utah, became an Intelligence Officer, and deployed to Afghanistan, where he was assigned as an infantry embedded trainer — an advisor who lives, trains, and fights alongside a local army unit — for the Afghan National Army. He returned as a decorated combat veteran and leader, then attended medical school and chose to enter the field of psychiatry.

He completed his psychiatric residency at Wright State University, focusing on the interplay between psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, psychiatric treatment in intellectual disability, pediatric psychiatry, substance abuse, and forensic work in aviation psychiatry. He was one of two doctors who designed and taught a course training family and internal medicine physicians to work with patients suffering from substance use disorders — a course still in use today.

Dr. Watson has authored multiple books on topics including PTSD, diet, and academic success, and is co-author of a textbook chapter on Motivational Enhancement Therapy. A nationally renowned keynote speaker on leadership, mental health, psychotherapy, and trauma, he has repeatedly trained therapists responding to emergencies such as school mass shootings and military mass-casualty events.

Blaine "Woody" Wood has maintained continuous sobriety since 1989 and has spent more than 35 years dedicated to lifting up individuals affected by drug and alcohol dependency. He holds a Master Training of Trainer's Certification and has conducted over 500 trainings in Drug and Alcohol Education, Cognitive Restructuring, Relapse Prevention, Group Dynamics, Ethics, and Alternatives to Violence, with a particular focus on incarcerated individuals, veterans, and Native American culturally specific recovery programming. Woody is a key founder of the Recovery Coach Peer-to-Peer curriculum developed in 1997, and has consulted widely with treatment centers on individual and group program design. He brings to the OFH Board unmatched depth of lived experience and practical expertise in peer-driven recovery.

Eric Montague is a serial entrepreneur and the President and Managing Partner of Beddy's, as well as founder of Executech and Mountain Wild. He embraces a philosophy of growth through stepping outside comfort zones and is passionate about mentoring others and creating pathways to success. Eric brings to the OFH Board an independent entrepreneurial perspective, business development acumen, and a personal commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others.

Jake Ferguson is a man in long-term recovery who brings a deeply personal understanding of what it means to persevere through addiction and rebuild a meaningful life. After two decades that included both treatment and relapse, Jake has channeled his experience into a consistent commitment to service — showing up for others still struggling with addiction while honoring the relationships that sustained him through his own journey. He contributes to the OFH Board an authentic peer perspective and a lived understanding of the recovery process that informs and strengthens the organization's mission.

Colton Morgan is a man in recovery whose personal journey through multiple treatment programs and nonprofit work gives him a ground-level understanding of both the challenges and the possibilities within the recovery space. He is deeply committed to carrying a message of hope to those still suffering from addiction, and his experience on both sides of the treatment relationship makes him a credible and compassionate voice on the OFH Board. Colton's personal mission aligns directly with the organization's commitment to peer-driven support and lasting recovery.

Richard helps his clients solve and work through sophisticated financial events to help them achieve their financial goals and objectives. He began his career in the financial services industry while going to college, where he led the Northern Utah region of KeyBank for five successful years before moving his family to Denver, CO, where he directed the banking division of Wells Fargo covering the southern Denver area. In 2014 he joined Sterling Financial Group, gaining experience and expertise before joining Investment Management Consultants in 2021. There his consulting practice helps high-net-worth individuals — both executives of private and public companies and business owners — turn their visions of financial success into reality. He excels in working through time-sensitive, involved business transactions, leveraging his relationships with a wide range of specialists to ensure his clients have the most effective outcome towards achieving their idea of success financially.

Richard graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Finance in 2005 and went on to graduate from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He also holds the FINRA Series 7 & 66 securities registrations and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). Currently he serves on the board of the Murray Education Foundation, where he is passionate about supporting and improving children's education.

Richard lives in Murray, Utah with his wife Amanda and their four children (Arcadia, Mekensy, Brooklyn & Jensen). He enjoys skiing with his children during the winter, traveling and boating with his family in the summer, attending University of Utah football games each fall, and enjoying the great outdoors during hunting season.